Federal Recreational Facilities, Army Corps Parks Closures

The Bureau of Reclamation announced the status of Mid-Pacific Region recreational facilities and amenities available to the public during the federal government shutdown. Facilities operating with lapsing federal appropriations are closed; those that are funded through concessions or operated by California State Parks are open.

New Melones Lake: All government operated recreation areas and facilities at New Melones Lake were closed as of Tuesday, Oct. 1, until further notice. This closure includes boat launching, day use, campground, trails, RV dump stations, restrooms and the Visitor Center.

Marina customers should contact the New Melones Lake Marina at 209-785-3300, for information regarding existing reservations or access to privately owned boats in slips. For more information, go to http://www.usbr.gov/mp/ccao/newmelones/.

As of Sunday, Oct. 6, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District closed public access to its 10 parks in California as a result of the federal government shutdown.

Dam operations and other mission-critical safety and security functions will continue during the shutdown. The affected parks include several lakes, as well as Stanislaus River Parks in Oakdale and New Hogan Lake in Valley Springs (part of Sacramento District).

Concessionaire access to leased areas will remain open, but public access to the lakes is prohibited. Concessionaires and their customers should dial 911 for any emergencies during this closure.

Campers in Sacramento District parks were required to vacate campgrounds on Oct. 6. Campers may cancel their reservations for a full refund. Customers required to vacate campsites early will receive a partial refund for any unused portion of their reservations. Customers may request a partial refund for any unused portion of their reservation due to the shutdown.

Recreation.gov customers should contact the reservation customer service at 877-444-6777. If the customer chooses to do nothing, the reservation service will automatically cancel reservations after their departure date during the shutdown period. As an alternative, customers may elect to leave reservations open for possible use after the shutdown is lifted.

Customers who made their reservation directly with a park office should contact that same office to make any changes.

Corps parks will reopen when the federal government shutdown ends. The Corps will post current information on the closure and reopening of facilities at http://www.usace.army.mil and locally on the Sacramento District’s website at http://www.spk.usace.army.mil/.